Tagged: Book Review

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Epeolatry Book Review: Tales of the Gothic, ed. Christopher Stagg

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Title: Tales of the Gothic
Author: Various, ed. Christopher Stagg
Genre: gothic horror
Publisher: Red Cape Publishing
Publication Date: 5th July, 2024

Synopsis: Christopher Stagg and Red Cape Publishing invite you to experience the terror of Tales of the Gothic, an anthology of British horror. Featuring ten macabre stories of hauntings, mystery, and secrets, this collection is certain to satisfy connoisseurs of gothic and traditional storytelling.
Includes stories by Victoria Dowd, Peter Stead, Mark R. Brandon, Christopher Stagg, Dale Parnell, Lucy Foster, R. P. Serin, Alyson Faye, J. W. Allen, and Deborah Tapper.

 

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Epeolatry Book Review: Asunder by Kerstin Hall

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Title: Asunder
Author: Kerstin Hall
Genre: fantasy
Publisher: tordotcom
Publication Date: 20th August, 2024

Synopsis: Karys Eska is a deathspeaker, locked into an irrevocable compact with Sabaster, a terrifying eldritch being―three-faced, hundred-winged, unforgiving―who has granted her the ability to communicate with the newly departed. She pays the rent by using her abilities to investigate suspicious deaths around the troubled city she calls home. When a job goes sideways and connects her to a dying stranger with some very dangerous secrets, her entire world is upended.

Ferain is willing to pay a ludicrous sum of money for her help. To save him, Karys inadvertently binds him to her shadow, an act that may doom them both. If they want to survive, they will need to learn to trust one another. Together, they must journey to the heart of a faded empire, all the while haunted by arcane horrors, and the unquiet ghosts of their pasts.

And all too soon, Karys knows her debts will come due.

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Epeolatry Book Review: Crocodile Tears Didn’t Cause the Flood by Bradley Sides

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Title: Crocodile Tears Didn’t Cause the Flood
Author: Bradley Sides
Genre: Short Story Collection, Weird Fiction/Horror
Publisher: Montag Press
Publication Date: 6th February, 2024

Synopsis:  Bradley Sides merges the South with the weird in his latest collection of magical realism short stories, Crocodile Tears Didn’t Cause the Flood. Here, a boy creates a guide to his beloved pond monster, a parent weighs the consequences of the coming apocalypse, a man protects a jar of delicate moths, a test taker fearlessly faces death, a young woman rejects ownership of her vampire family’s farm, a father leaves a letter for his ghost daughter, and a flood of broken robots sparks pure joy. Full of grief, loss, and, somehow, even hope, Sides’ fantastic stories boldly and tenderly explore the complexities of humanity.

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Epeolatry Book Review: Guillotine by Delilah S. Dawson

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Title: Guillotine
Author: Delilah S. Dawson
Genre: horror
Publisher: Titan Books
Publication Date: 10th September, 2024

Synopsis: Thrift fashionista Dez Lane doesn’t want to date Patrick Ruskin; she just wants to meet his mother, the editor-in-chief of Nouveau magazine. When he invites her to his family’s big Easter reunion at their ancestral home, she’s certain she can put up with his arrogance and fend off his advances long enough to ask Marie Caulfield-Ruskin for an internship someone with her pedigree could never nab through the regular submission route.

When they arrive at the enormous island mansion, Dez is floored―she’s never witnessed how the 1% lives before in all their ridiculous, unnecessary luxury. But once all the family members are on the island and the ferry has departed, things take a dark turn. For decades, the Ruskins have made their servants sign contracts that are basically indentured servitude, and with nothing to lose, the servants have decided their only route to freedom is to get rid of the Ruskins for good…

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Epeolatry Book Review: Nine Levels by Elana Gomel

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Title: Nine Levels
Author: Elana Gomel
Genre: Horror/Fantasy
Publisher: Mirror World Publishing
Publication Date: 17th July, 2024

Synopsis: Waking up on the beach in Greece after a midnight party, Cleo, a British-Greek tourist, sees a stranger sitting next to her. The stranger has a giant spider on his forearm.

So begins an incredible odyssey through the nine levels of the mysterious mountain populated by an odd assortment of monsters, demons, and avatars of dead gods. Still grieving the unsolved disappearance of her twin sister Cora, Cleo is thrust into the world whose rules she does not understand and whose inhabitants confound everything she thought she knew about Greek mythology. Confronted by Woven Women, masked huntresses, sentient graffiti, and Mother of Monsters, Cleo has to make sense of it all. And meanwhile, a mysterious Call reverberates in her brain: You have to go up. You have to find your sister.

A story of self-discovery, courage, and breathtaking adventure, Nine Levels is a highly imaginative, innovative, and engrossing retelling of familiar legends with a twist you won’t see coming.

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Epeolatry Book Review: Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland

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Title: Running Close to the Wind
Author: Alexandra Rowland
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Tor Publishing Group
Publication Date: 11th June, 2024

Synopsis: A queer pirate fantasy standalone adventure by Alexandra Rowland, the author of A Taste of Gold and Iron.

“Come for the irrepressible gremlin of a narrator, stay for the plot-relevant cake competitions! A whip-smart, hilarious and exuberant high seas romp.”―Freya Marske, Sunday Times bestselling author of A Marvellous Light

A LitHub most anticipated book of 2024

Avra Helvaçi, former field agent of the Araşti Ministry of Intelligence, has accidentally stolen the single most expensive secret in the world―and the only place to flee with a secret that big is the open sea.

To find a buyer with deep enough pockets, Avra must ask for help from his on-again, off-again ex, the pirate Captain Teveri az-Ḥaffār. They are far from happy to see him, but together, they hatch a plan: take the information to the isolated pirate republic of the Isles of Lost Souls, fence it, profit. The only things in their way? A calculating new Araşti ambassador to the Isles of Lost Souls who’s got his eyes on Avra’s every move; Brother Julian, a beautiful, mysterious new member of the crew with secrets of his own and a frankly inconvenient vow of celibacy; the fact that they’re sailing straight into sea serpent breeding season and almost certain doom.

But if they can find a way to survive and sell the secret on the black market, they’ll all be as wealthy as kings―and, more important, they’ll be legends.

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Epeolatry Book Review: A Christmas Ghost Story by Kim Newman

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Our reviews may contain affiliate links. If you purchase something through the links in this article we may receive a small commission or referral fee. This happens without any additional cost to you.

Title: A Christmas Ghost Story
Author: Kim Newman
Genre: Ghost; Holiday; Horror
Publisher: Titan Books
Publication Date: 8th October, 2024

Synopsis: From the acclaimed author of Anno Dracula, the perfect gift for those who love the dark fantastic imaginations of Neil Gaiman and T. Kingfisher, this is a nightmarish tale of a haunted Christmas set deep in the British countryside not too long ago. Cosy traditions are made twisted and terrifying as a mother and son grapple with their painful past.

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Epeolatry Book Review: A Reviewer’s Guide to Writing Book Reviews by Rick Hipson

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Our reviews may contain affiliate links. If you purchase something through the links in this article we may receive a small commission or referral fee. This happens without any additional cost to you.

Title: A Reviewers Guide to Writing Book Reviews
Author: Rick Hipson
Genre: Nonfiction; Horror Reference
Publisher: Crystal Lake
Publication Date: 26th July, 2024

Synopsis: Dive into the world of book reviewing with this essential guide, perfect for anyone passionate about sharing their literary discoveries. Whether you’re an avid reader eager to promote your next favorite book and author, or intrigued by the prospect of receiving free books and earning from your reviews, this comprehensive guide is tailored for you.

Rick Hipson, with over two decades of experience as a seasoned genre reviewer and interviewer, offers a treasure trove of insights in this guidebook. From his early challenges to achieving recognition for his work in leading publications like Rue Morgue magazine and Cemetery Dance, Hipson shares his journey and the lessons learned along the way. This guidebook is packed with practical advice, real-world examples, and actionable tips designed to elevate your review writing skills to a professional level.

Whether your aim is to monetize your reviews, contribute to prestigious publications, or simply enhance your support for beloved authors, this guidebook, infused with Hipson’s expert knowledge, is an invaluable resource. It’s crafted to assist both budding and experienced reviewers in honing their craft, ensuring your reviews capture attention and make an impact.

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